The key to living a rich and meaningful life is continuous learning and fearless and pursuit of one's passion. Migiwa "Miggy" Miyajima stepped down as editor in chief of a magazine to become a musician at age of 30.

In 2011 and 2014, she was associate producer for two Grammy® Award nominated albums of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, she received a scholarship from the Japanese government to come to New York in 2012. There, she studied with Jim McNeely and Mike Holober. She went on to lead her orchestra at Birdland in 2017, as the first female Japanese big band leader since Toshiko Akiyoshi left in 2003.

In 2018, Migiwa was selected for The Slide Hampton Big Band as its conductor and associate producer. The band plays music of NEA Jazz Master, trombonist, composer and arranger - legendary Slide Hampton. The first "Colorful" concert will be on September 30, 2018 at Birdland in New York City.

Migiwa Miyagima Notes:Migiwa’s career path began in Tokyo on a very different trajectory—she worked as a director of real estate ads, an IT engineer, and then an editor-in-chief of a travel magazine. But in 2004, at the age of 30, she decided to become a musician. Five years later, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, a historic New York–based ensemble, recognized Migiwa’s talent and invited her to produce their Japan tour, which she has done every year since. She was associate producer for two Grammy Award nominated albums by the orchestra in 2011 and 2014. In 2012, having received a Japanese government scholarship and a Japan-US Friendship Commission Fellowship, Migiwa made her move to New York. She now leads her own big band, Miggy Augmented Orchestra. July 2017 marked Migiwa’s first appearance at Birdland. She was the first female Japanese big band leader to perform there since the legendary Toshiko Akiyoshi in 2003. Her orchestra’s debut album Colorful will be released by ArtistShare in 2018. She also composes for various other artists and media outlets, such as, Steve Wilson, The Birdland Big Band, as well as nation-wide Japanese radio station - Nippon Hoso Broadcast.